Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



May 29, 1923.

J. F. O'CONNOR FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 4, 1920 III/II Patented May 29, 1923.

STATES PATENT JOHN=F.'OCONNOR, 0F cnloneo, .ILLINOIS,.ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAMyH. MINE-n," CHAZY, NEW ORK FRICTION SHOCK-ABSORBING MECHANISM.

Application filed October 4, 1920. Serial No. 414,655.

To, all whom it may concern Be it, knownthat 1, JOHN- F. OCo oR,

a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, haveinvented .a certain new and useful Improvement in Friction Shock-Ahsorbing Mechanisms, of which the following is atull, clear, concise, and exact description, reference. being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. i

This invention relates to improvements in friction shock absorbing mechanisms. f

Qne Object of the invention is to provide a. friction shock absorbingmechanism, es;

pecially adapted for ,railwaydraft riggings, whercin is-ohtained high capacity and cert-ain re ease Anothenob-ject of the invention is to pro;- xzide a -t1:iction shock. absorbing mechanism of the character indicated wherein. the frictional resistance is progressively increased during the compression strokeuntil,v atv the endafli the pmissible mov.ement, the frictional, resistance is exceedingly great but without militating, against the easy and certain' release of the friction elements 'In thef drawing; forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 isia. horizontal longitudinal sectional-view of; a portion of a railwa d a rigging showingamv'. im rover m tsiinconnection, herewith gu e 2 is a vertical, transyolse sectional View taken su tantially" the e of: F g e Eigure is a. horizontal. sectional view, pensbein broken away, corresponding. to Eig el; ow th e's t qe o the Pa t at'the. efthe compression stroke. E g ee, an fi re. de ai Perspe ti o it $h11 f iction lement and a, friction shoe, res pec rel I i1 said drawing, 1O denote channel center. 0.1: draft s s. of a railway can o t e a i hich are s c r fmnt 1 g .l .1 and ire-an stop lugs 12%.12. Lin portion. Qt a; drawb n i indi ated a 3s he samebein op-e e w Q. hQlQ dv li fi YQli Q-li byacQuple r kQy Th kelhsorbing; me h ni m pr psr, r within the s nqnei ilo pie. The wis an see taly b e-par s re s pported in operative position bye detachable "T e r' a d sh ck bser nemec anisrn, as shown, comprises, broadly, n combined friction shell and spring cage casting A a spring resistance B,;"'ai wedge; or $preader' C a pair 'of friction shoes a pair of friction shell elements E E ;*a

retainer bolt F anda spring follower-G. i

In the particular embodiment of theinvention shown, the friction'shell is formed at the outer end ofthe casting Aand is of generally rectangular formation having up.- per and lower walls l8 l8'and side 1 9,'1 9.. 'The side walls 19.:1 9, are provided on their inner sidcs Withinwardly converging. surfaces -}20 extending at a relatively keen or acuteangle, with respect tothe axis Limiting shoulders 21 21 are formed at the outer, ends of said of the mechanism.

surfaces 20 and other shoulders 22%22 are formed at the inner ends. .thereoi. The spring. cage portion proper. 23 of the casting i A is of generally cylindrical form .to act as a centering means'for the coil spring B. its rear. end, the casting A is formedwith an integral Wall 24 and laterally extended. reinforcing flanges 25-25 to adapt the rear end of the casting Ato act/as the rear follower of the draft gear. I

The two friction shell elements E are of like form and each is of relatively keen angled cross section when the section is taken outer end 28: ofthe friction shell. Inactu-al practice, the. friction surfacesz 26 will ex tend at a-very keen anglewith resPB tto the axis of the shell as to produce, in efi'ect, a very slightly tapered friction shell effect. .As will beclear f rom an; inspection or Figlif 1, the'elem ntsy-E have-sh iiider 'o pe e le w h the shell sheddessZk-to :leimij ck pawns n r m n s tees nemar I it The friction shoesiD are oilikeconstflxc tion and-. eac h' is formedon'its out-e s de with a longitudinally extendingsfiat 1310 on u c 26 dapted n wep ra ew with:

corresponding friction surfaces'26. On its inner side each shoe D 18 formed with a wedge face extending at a comparatively blunt angle with respect to the axis of the shell.

The wedge or spreader C is preferably in the form of a cored casting and has two wedge faces 130-430 corresponding to and co-operable with the wedge faces 3030 of the shoes. At its inner end, the wedge C normally bears against the spring follower G which engages with the outer-end of the spring B. Said follower G is adapted to cooperate with opposed shoulders 3232 on the shoes D to insure the outward movement of the shoes during release.

The operation is as follows, assuming an inward or bufling movement of the drawbar As the drawbar l3 and follower 16 are moved inwardly under a buffing stress, the wedge C forces the shoes D in the same direction. Initially there will be an almost infinitesimal period of inertia in the shoes D which will cause the wedge C to advance longitudinally a minute amount with respect to the shoes. Thereafter the wedge C, shoes D and follower G will travel substantially as a unit, except for a slight differential movement between said wedge and shoes, as

hereinafter described, the initial inward movement of the wedge C, and the movement of the shoes D,. when advanced sufficiently by the differential movement of the wedge and shoes, being directly resisted by the spring'B. Due to the slight convergence of the friction surfaces 2626, the resistance to the movements of the shoes D will gradually increase and the outward radial pressure exerted by the shoes on the elements E willborrespondingly increase. As the outward radial pressure is increased. in

the manner just described, the elements E will be gradually picked up and advanced inwardly of the shell with an ever-increasing resistance thereto until the end of the compression stroke when the parts assume the condition'illustratedin Figure 3. The extended flanges 27 of the elements E are left so as to insure the complete inward or longitudinal movement of the elements E under heavy blows in case the elements E are not frictionally fully advanced by the shoes D. This result'is of course accomplished by the follower 16 engaging the extended flanges 27 during the last part of the compression stroke in the event any-portion of said flanges 27 remains -outside of the shell; Due to the tapering or converging surfaces '26 and 20, there will'naturally occur some expansion in the friction shell itself and in addition a slight differential action will occur between the wedge and shoes. Upon removal of the actuating pressure, it will be noted that the spring acts in a direct manner uponthe shoes D, thru the follower G and because of. the relatively blunt angled engagement between said wedge and the shoes D, release is easily effected. Furthermore, the inclined or converging surfaces 20 of the shell facilitate the release or outward movement of the elements E. From the preceding description, it will be observed that, after the initial action of the relatively blunt wedge with respect to the shoes D, the wedge and shoes D travel substantially as a unit and an extremely keen angled wedging effect is thereafter obtained between the shoes D and the shell'elements E and the latter ultimately function as friction shoes with a restricted travel on the friction shell proper. i r

I have herein'shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carry ing out the invention, but all changes and modifications that come within the scope of: the claims appended hereto, are contem plated.

I claim:

1. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a shell having inwardly converging interior surfaces; of separate auxiliary friction shell elements mounted on said surfaces and adaptedfor limited movement with respect thereto, said elements providing main shell friction surfaces; friction shoes slidable on said main shell friction surfaces; for an amount substantiallymore than half of the total travel of the mechanism; spreading means cooperable with said shoes; a spring resistance; and means for positively insuring movement of said shell elements inwardly of the shell during the last portion only of the compression stroke.

2. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a shellhaving inwardly converging interior surfaces; of separate auxiliary friction shell elements mounted on said surfaces and adapted for limited movementwith respect thereto, said elements providing main shell friction surfaces; friction shoes slidable on said main shell friction surfaces for an amount substantially more than half of the total travel of the mechanism; spreading meanscooperable with said shoes; and a spring resistance.

' 3. In a friction shock absorbing mechashoes, the angle ofthe wedge faces on the wedge and shoes extending at a blunter angle'with respect to the axis of the shell 7 movement with respect thereto, said elements being provided on their inner sidesv with friction surfaces; friction shoes cooperable with said elements and slidable on said friction surfaces; a wedge cooperable with said shoes, the angle of the wedge faces on the wedge and shoes extending at a blunter angle with respect to the axis of-the' shell than the angle of said converging surfaces of the shell; and a springresistance, one end of said spring resistance directly engaging said wedge.

In afriction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a shell having converging interior surfaces; of separate auxiliary. friction shell elements mounted on said surfaces and adapted for limited movement with respect thereto, said elements being provided on their inner sides with friction surfaces converging inwardly of the shell at an acuter angle than that of said interior surfaces of the shell; friction shoes cooperable with the friction surfaces of said elements; a wedge cooperable with said shoes, said wedge and shoes having cooperating wedge faces extending at a relatively, blunt angle with respect to the axis; and a spring resistance.

6. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a shell having converging interior surfaces; of separate auxiliary friction shell elements mounted on said surfaces and adapted for limited movement with respect thereto, each of sa d elements having an inner frictlon surface and a flange at its outerend extended normally a short distant beyond the outer end of the shell; friction shoes cooperable with the friction surfaces of said elements, the

outerv ends of said shoes being normally extended outwardly an appreciable distance beyond the outer ends of said elements; a Y

wedge cooperable with said shoes; a"spring resistance; and means, movable-in unlson with the wedge, adapted to engage'said extended ends of said elements during the final portion only'of the compression stroke.

7 In a friction shock absorbing mechanisin.,the combination with a shell having inwardly converging. interior surfaces; of separate auxiliary friction shell elements mounted onsaid surfaces and adapted for 3' limited moveme'ntwith respect thereto, said elements, on their inner sides, providing mainffriction shell surfaces; cooperating shoulders on the shell vand said elements v limiting the outward'movement of said elements with respect to the shell; friction shoes'slidable on said main shell friction surfaces for an amount equal to a majorportion of the full travel of the mechanism; spreading means cooperable with said shoes;

and a spring resistance.

In witness that I- claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th t day of Sept. 1920. 

